First Reading
Isaiah 2:1-5
1. “Peoples shall come and say: ‘Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain. … one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war.’” Doesn’t “Climbing the Lord’s mountain together” require forgiving one another? Can this work on a smaller scale in our own neighborhood or family?
2. What words come to your mind when you think of “swords” and “spears”? or “plowshares,” as in this wonderful reading? Do you have the equivalent of swords and spears in your office, parish, or your own life? How does, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares” relate to you?
Second Reading
Romans 13:11-14
1. In all the places you live and work is there some dimness that you can brighten with your Christ light?
2. What are the “works of darkness” that need to be thrown away? What is the “armor of light” that needs to be put on? Is grace always there to take care of these two needs?
Gospel
Matthew 24:37-44
1. Advent is about God coming to us. How can you become more aware of the ways Christ comes to you? Did you find Christ today? Do you ask this of yourself every night?
2. Where did Pope Francis say we would find God? In miraculous events or ordinary life?
Very often we hear it said that the Lord is present on our journey, that he accompanies us and speaks to us. But perhaps, distracted as we are by many things, this truth remains merely theoretical for us.
Yes, we know that the Lord is coming but we do not live according to this truth, or we imagine that the Lord will come in a spectacular way, perhaps through some miraculous sign. And instead, Jesus says that it will take place as in “the days of Noah” (cf. v. 37). And what did they do in the days of Noah? Just the normal, everyday things of life, as always: “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” (v. 38).
Let us bear this in mind: God is hidden in our life, but he is always there—he is concealed in the most common and most ordinary situations in our life. He does not come in extraordinary events, but in everyday things. He manifests himself in everyday things. He is there, in our daily work, in a chance encounter, in the face of someone in need, even when we face days that seem grey and monotonous. It is right there that we find the Lord, who calls to us, speaks to us and inspires our actions.
Angelus of the First Sunday in Advent
Pope Francis, Nov 27, 2022
